One of America’s Largest 3D Print Farms Started in a Closet! | UpFlip Video
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From a single 3D printer stashed in his closet to a thriving $6M business, Kason Knight’s journey in the 3D printing industry is anything but ordinary. After being laid off during the oil and gas downturn, this former mechanical engineer leveraged his experience with 3D printing to create a groundbreaking business opportunity.
What started as a modest 3D printing business serving his previous employer quickly evolved into iSolids, a company that's achieved 130% year-over-year growth. His strategic shift from consumer markets to B2B services has positioned his company as a go-to solution provider for medical prosthetics, manufacturing, and industrial parts.
The secret to his success? While competitors focused on mass production, Kason prioritized transparency and quality, even setting up webcams so customers could watch their items being printed in real-time. This innovative approach sparked organic social media promotion and built unwavering customer loyalty.
In this episode, discover how Kason scaled from one printer to a facility full of industrial-grade machines, why he chose to pivot from consumer to business clients, and how he maintains exceptional growth while spending just $500 monthly on advertising. If you're curious about starting or growing a 3D printing business, this conversation is packed with practical insights you won't want to miss.
Resources:
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👉 Kason’s business - link
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:47 - Print anything you imagine… in 3D!
01:19 - Zero vs Batch production
01:50 - Scale of operations
02:26 - Started with no experience
03:00 - “Printing” $$$ in the kids’ playroom
03:48 - Newbie machine (available on Amazon!)
04:29 - Revenue
05:36 - All in without a safety net
06:18 - No engineering degree? No problem!
07:21 - Where the magic happens
09:33 - Fan blitz
10:59 - AI machine learning
11:55 - Overhead expenses
13:02 - Cons of being a jack of all trades
13:47 - Photopolymer machine
14:02 - FDM vs. Photopolymer
15:08 - Fast isn’t always good
15:49 - The machine that started it all
16:23 - Funding a $500K beast
17:25 - It’s not how big, it’s how often
17:58 - Surprise deals
18:24 - Start today! Here’s how.
19:54 - Sample product
20:42 - Relationship-driven marketing
21:48 - Sales process
22:39 - The biggest misconception
23:23 - Money ≠ happiness
24:18 - Pros and cons of entrepreneurship
24:48 - Materials used
25:48 - Success IS replicable
26:25 - Challenge of forecasting
27:31 - Power of the right network
28:05 - Turning $8M down… why?!
28:54 - Beat underpricing
29:38 - Growth lives outside your comfort zone
30:06 - Start with marketing
30:39 - Opportunity for automation
31:01 - 3D material’s got muscle
31:29 - Daily maintenance
31:57 - Feel the fear but do it anyway
32:34 - Book recommendation
33:06 - Outro
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